Central American Submitted Surnames

Central American names include those from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Barba Spanish
Spanish: nickname for a man noted for his beard, from barba ‘beard’ (Latin barba).
Barbero Spanish
Spanish occupational name for a barber-surgeon (see Barber), Spanish barbero, from Late Latin barbarius, a derivative of barba ‘beard’ (Latin barba).
Barcelona Catalan, Spanish
Habitational name from Barcelona, the principal city of Catalonia. The place name is of uncertain, certainly pre-Roman, origin. The settlement was established by the Carthaginians, and according to tradition it was named for the Carthaginian ruling house of Barca; the Latin form was Barcino or Barcilo.
Bárcenas Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Espinosa de los Monteros.
Barón Spanish
nickname from the title barón "baron" applied as a nickname or as an occupational name for a member of the household of a baron; or from an old personal name of the same origin in the sense "free man"... [more]
Barria Spanish
Variant of Barrio.
Barrientos Spanish
Habitational name from a place in León named Barrientos, possibly derived from an Asturleonese word meaning "loamy".
Barrios Spanish
Habitational name from any of the numerous places named with Spanish barrio "outlying suburb (especially an impoverished one), slum", from Arabic barr "suburb, dependent village". It may also be a topographic name for someone originating from a barrio.
Barroso Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the Spanish word 'barrera' which means 'barrier'.
Bartolomé Spanish
From the given name Bartolomé.
Basileo Galician, Italian, Spanish
From the given name Basileo.
Basilio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Basilio.
Bastardo Spanish, Portuguese, Italian (Rare)
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian form of Bastard.
Bastían Spanish
From the given name Bastían.
Bastidas Spanish
Possibly related to the French word "bastide", referring to fortified towns built in Southern France in the Middle Ages.... [more]
Batista Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese cognate of Bautista as well as a Spanish variant.
Batres Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Batz Mayan
From Mayan b'atz' meaning "monkey", specifically referring to the black howler (Alouatta caraya).
Baviera Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan
Means "Bavaria" in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Catalan. Indicating for someone from Bavaria a state in Germany.
Baylon Spanish
Spanish: variant of Bailón ( see Bailon ).
Bea Spanish
Habitational name from a place of this name in Teruel.
Beatriz Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Beatriz.
Becerra Spanish, Galician
Nickname probably for a high-spirited person from becerra "young cow, heifer". It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a cowherd.
Bedoya Spanish
Castilianized form of Bedoia. Name for someone from Bedoña, in the Spanish province Gipuzkoa. Bedoña likely comes from Basque bedi "pasture grazing" and -oña, suffix for a place name.
Bega Spanish
Variant of Vega.
Bejar Spanish
From the town of the same name in Spain
Belalcázar Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous Andalusian municipality with the coordinates 38°34′31″N 5°10′02″W.
Belisario Italian, Spanish
From the given name Belisario.
Belrio Spanish
From the Spanish word meaning "beautiful river".
Beltrán Spanish
From the given name Beltrán.
Benavides Spanish
Patronymic name from the Medieval personal name Ben Avid, of Arabic origin, derived from ibn Abd meaning "son of the servant of God".
Benigno Spanish, Italian
From the given name Benigno.
Benitez Spanish (Americanized), Filipino
Unaccented form of Benítez primarily used in America and the Philippines.
Bentaberry French, Spanish (Latin American), Basque
From Basque Bentaberri or Bentaberria, both common place names in Basque Country meaning "new inn".
Bentancur Spanish
One of the variants of Bettencourt or Bethencourt.
Berlanga Spanish
From the village or castle named "Berlanga de Duero" from Soria, Spain. Berlanga itself was derived from "berlain" which comes from the name of a precious stone derived from the Greek. So it could be related to stones.
Bermejo Spanish
Originally a nickname for a man with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Spanish bermejo "reddish, ruddy" (itself from Latin vermiculus "little worm", from vermis "worm", since a crimson dye was obtained from the bodies of worms).
Bermudo Spanish
From the given name Bermudo.
Bernárdez Spanish
Means "son of Bernardo".
Bernardez Spanish
Unaccented variant of Bernárdez.
Berruguete Spanish
From Catalan berruga "wart", possibly denoting a person who has warts or lives in a warty place.
Berto Italian, Spanish
From the given name Berto.
Betances Spanish, American (Hispanic)
Unexplained; probably related to Betanzos, the name of a town near A Coruña in Galicia.
Beteta Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Bezos Spanish
From bezo meaning "thick lips" in Spanish, referring to a person with blubber or thick lips.
Bibiano Spanish
From the given name Bibiano.
Bienvenido Spanish
From the given name Bienvenido.
Bilbao Spanish
Spanish: Habitational Name From The City Of Bilbao In Biscay Basque Country.
Blancanieves Spanish (Rare)
Means "Snow White" in Spanish.
Blancarte Spanish
Likely a variant of Blanchard.
Blaque Spanish, Catalan
Variant of "Llaquet". It could also be a Catalan variant of Black
Blas Spanish
From the given name Blas.
Blasquez Spanish
From the medieval diminutive Velasco, from the Basque word 'bela' meaning "crow", and the diminutive suffix 'sko'.
Bocachica Spanish (Latin American)
Literally means "little mouth" in Spanish. It could have been given to someone who had a small mouth or a small jaw, or to someone who was known for having a quiet and reserved speaking style. It could also have been a nickname given to someone who had a small but sweet smile.
Bocanegra Spanish
Spanish: nickname from boca ‘mouth’ + negra ‘black’, denoting a foul-mouthed or abusive person. In the form Boccanegra, this surname has also been long established in Italy.
Bohórquez Spanish
Denoted a person from Bohorques, a minor place in the Spanish province of Santander.
Bolaño Spanish
Is a Hispanic surname derived from the spanish word for "stone cannonball" or "stoneshot".
Bolar Spanish
Topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of soil of a particular type known as tierra bolar.
Bomba Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak
From bomba "bomb", (Latin bombus), hence probably a nickname for someone with an explosive temperament, or a metonymic occupational name for an artilleryman.
Bona Spanish
Spanish surname of unknown origin maybe from given name Bona. Spanish Singer Juanjo Bona has this surname
Bonba Basque, Spanish
From Basque bonba meaning "bomb", (Latin bombus), hence probably a nickname for someone with an explosive temperament, or a metonymic occupational name for an artilleryman.
Bonifacio Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Bonifacio.
Bonilla Spanish
From the area of Spain of the same name
Bonito Italian, Spanish
From the given name Bonito.
Bordaberry French, Spanish (Latin American), Basque
From Basque Bordaberri or Bordaberria, both widespread place names meaning "new hut/sheepfold/farm".
Borges Portuguese, Spanish
Possibly from Old French burgeis meaning "town-dweller" (see Burgess). Alternately, it may have denoted someone originally from the city of Bourges in France.
Borquez Spanish
Likely shortened from Bohórquez.
Borrero Spanish
Occupational name from borrero 'executioner'.
Botella Spanish
From the Spanish word meaning "Bottle".
Bracamontes Spanish
Probably a habitational name from the French town of Bracquemont near Dieppe.
Bragado Portuguese, Spanish
This surname is a Spanish word which means "gritty", refering to a bull. ... [more]
Bringas Basque, Spanish
Etymology unknown.
Briones Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Riojan municipality.
Brizuela Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous neighborhood of the Castilian municipality of Merindad de Valdeporres.
Buendía Spanish
Probably a habitational name from Buendía in Cuenca province, Spain.
Buitrago Spanish
This indicates familial origin within either of 2 eponymous municipalities: the Castilian one in El Campo de Gómara or the Manchego municipality of Buitrago del Lozoya in Sierra Norte, Comunidad de Madrid.
Bulgaria Italian, Spanish
Originally an ethnic name or regional name for someone from Bulgaria or a nickname for someone who had visited or traded with Bulgaria, which is named after the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars, itself possibly from a Turkic root meaning "mixed".
Burciaga Spanish
Hispanic (Mexico): Probably A Topographic Name Of Basque Origin But Unexplained Etymology.
Burgos Spanish
Surname from a place named Burgos of Spain.
Burruchaga Spanish, Basque (Hispanicized)
Altered form of Basque Burutxaga, a habitational name from a location in Navarre, Spain, possibly derived from buru "head; top, summit; leader, chief" or burutza "office of chief" combined with -aga "place of".
Bustamante Spanish
Habitational name for someone originally from the town of Bustamante in Cantabria, Spain, derived from Latin bustum Amantii meaning "pasture of Amantius".
Butragueño Spanish
Originally denoted someone from either the town of Buitrago del Lozoya in Madrid, or from the village of Buitrago in Soria, Castile and León in Spain, both derived Spanish buitre meaning "vulture" (see Buitrago)... [more]
Caamal Mayan
From Mayan ka'amal meaning "twice", also taken to mean "self-conceited".
Cab Spanish
Diminutive of Cabello, Cabrera, or Cabral.
Caba Spanish, Catalan
Variant of Cava.
Cababa Spanish
Spanish (Cabaña) and Portuguese: habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña ‘hut’, ‘cabin’ (Late Latin capanna , a word of Celtic or Germanic origin).
Cabaco Spanish, Filipino
From spanish word cabaco means "horse"
Caballé Spanish
Used by the Spanish Opera singer Montserrat Caballé.
Caballo Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Derived from the Spanish word cabello, ultimately derived from the Latin word caballus, meaning "horse". This denoted someone who worked in a farm that took care of horses, or someone who had personality traits attributed to a horse, such as energetic behaviour.
Cabaña Spanish, Portuguese
Habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña ‘hut’, ‘cabin’ (Late Latin capanna, a word of Celtic or Germanic origin).
Cabañas Spanish, Portuguese
Habitational name from a place named with Spanish cabaña or Portuguese cabanha ‘hut’, ‘cabin’.
Cadena Spanish
From Aguilar de Campoo, a district of Villalon in Valladolid.
Cadiñanos Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous minor local entity.
Cádiz Spanish
Habitational name for a person from the city of Cádiz in southwestern Spain.
Cahué Spanish
Variant of Cahuet.
Cajigas Spanish, Filipino
Topographic name from the plural of Spanish cajigo, derived from quejigo meaning "gall oak".
Calabaza Spanish, Indigenous American
Nickname from ‘calabaza’ meaning pumpkin squash. This is commonly used by Pueblos (Native Americans) in New Mexico.
Calatayud Spanish
From the city in Spain, in province of Zaragoza within the autonomous community Aragón. The name Calatayud came from the Arabic قلعة أيوب Qal‘at ’Ayyūb, "the qalat (fortress) of Ayyub".
Caldera Spanish
Derived from Spanish caldera meaning "basin, crater, hollow", ultimately from Latin caldarium or caldaria both meaning "hot bath, cooking pot". The word also denotes a depression in volcanoes, and it is commonly used as an element for surnames denoting streams or mountains.
Calero Spanish
Metonymic occupational name for a burner or seller of lime, from calero ‘lime’.
California Spanish (Latin American)
It is thought that it might've been derived from Latin calida fornax meaning "hot furnace", or from Native American, kali forno meaning "high hill, native land". It is also thought to have derived from the given name Khalif or Khalifa.
Calisto Portuguese, Spanish
From the given name Calisto.
Calixto Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Calixto
Calvete Spanish
It means bald. It's a surname of the Galician origin.
Calzada Spanish (Latin American)
Means "road" in Spanish.
Calzadilla Spanish
habitational name from any of the places called (La) Calzadilla, named with a diminutive of calzada 'paved road'
Calzado Spanish
Means "calced" in Spanish.
Cámara Spanish
Occupational name for a courtier or servant who could access the private quarters of a king or noble, from Spanish cámara meaning "room, chamber".
Camarena Spanish
Topographic name for someone who lived by a granary.
Camargo Spanish
Habitational name for someone from a place in Andalusia called Camargo.
Camilo Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Camilo.
Camino Spanish
Derived from the Spanish word for "path", or "walkway". This could have been used to denote a person who lived near a path, or one who built paths for a living.
Campus Spanish
Derived from the Latin word campus, meaning "field". It denoted someone who either lived in a field or worked in one.
Can Mayan
from the word kaan meaning "snake"
Canales Spanish
Spanish: habitational name from any of several places called Canales, from canales, plural of canal ‘canal’, ‘water channel’, from Latin canalis.
Canché Mayan
From Yucatec Maya ka'anche' referring to the button mangrove (Conocarpus erectus), a type of shrub. Alternately it may be derived from che' meaning "wood, stick, board", referring to a raised seedbed or floorboards used to beat and cut cobs.
Cancino Spanish
A name for a person who first held the position of Chancellor.
Cancio Spanish
A name for a person who first held the position of Chancellor.
Candela Spanish, Italian, Sicilian, Catalan
Either an occupational name for a chandler (a candle maker or candle seller) or a nickname for a tall thin person, derived from candela meaning "candle" (from Latin candela).
Candelario Spanish
From the given name Candelario
Canela Spanish
Derived from the word 'canela' meaning cinnamon in Spanish. It Could also be a variant of the Catalan surname Candela.
Canelo Spanish
From spanish canela meaning "cinnamon". Perhaps a nickname for someone with red hair.
Cañete Spanish (Philippines), Spanish (Latin American)
Habitational name for a person from any of the places in Spain called Cañete, such as Cañete de las Torres (Seville), Cañete la Real (Málaga) and Cañete (Cuenca).
Canizales Spanish (Latin American)
This surname came from around the beginnings of 1800 in south regions of Colombia where sugar cane was cultivated. It's a variation of Cañizales, that literally means "sugar cane fields".
Canomanuel Spanish
The first part of this surname is possibly derived from Spanish cano "hoary, white-haired, grey-haired". The second part is derived from the given name Manuel... [more]
Cantor Spanish
Occupational name for a singer.
Canul Yucatec Maya
Means "protector" in Mayan.
Canuto Italian, Filipino, Spanish
From an Italian nickname derived from canuto meaning "white-haired".
Caraballo Spanish
Occupational name for a knight or a knight's servant.
Carabantes Spanish
It indicates familial origin within the eponymous municipality.
Carbajal Spanish, Judeo-Spanish
Probably a habitational name denoting someone originally from any of the multiple locations called Carbajal in León, Asturias, or Zamora in Spain. Alternatively, it may be of pre-Roman origin from the word carbalio meaning "oak", denoting someone who either lived near an oak tree or who was like an oak tree in some way.... [more]
Carbonero Spanish
Famous bearers are Carlos Carbonero, a Colombian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sampdoria on loan from Fénix and Sara Carbonero, a Spanish sports journalist.
Cárcamo Basque (Hispanicized), Spanish
Castilianized form of the toponym Karkamu.
Carcelén Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Cardenal Spanish, Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish cognitive of Cardinal. This surname is common in Nicaragua.
Cardenete Spanish
This indicates familial origin within the eponymous Manchego municipality.
Cardo Spanish, Italian
From cardo "thistle, cardoon" (from Latin carduus) either a topographic or occupational name for using wool carder thistles, or from the given name Cardo a short form of given names Accardo, Biancardo, or Riccardo.
Carillo Spanish, Italian
From a diminutive of the given name Caro.
Carino Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Carino.
Carlos Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Carlos.
Carpintero Spanish
Means "carpenter" in Spanish.
Carrasquillo Spanish
The surname Carrasquillo is of Spanish origin and it is derived from the word "carrasca" which means "holm oak". Therefore, the name roughly translates to "a place where there are holm oaks".
Carrera Spanish, Italian
Spanish: topographic name for someone living by a main road, carrera ‘thoroughfare’, originally a road passable by vehicles as well as pedestrians (Late Latin carraria (via), a derivative of carrum ‘cart’), or a habitational name from any of various places named with this word.... [more]
Carrión Spanish
It comes from the knight Alonso Carreño, who distinguished himself in the conquest of the town of Carrión de los Condes (Palencia), where he founded his solar house.
Carrizo Spanish
Nickname for a person who's bold, shameless.
Cartagena Spanish
From the name of the city of Cartagena in southeastern Spain, derived from Latin Carthāgō Nova meaning "New Carthage" (ultimately derived from Phonecian qrt-ḥdšt meaning "new city").
Casa Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
Means "house" in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.
Casabuena Spanish (Modern, Rare)
Means "Happy House" or "House of Happiness" in Spanish, with the Spanish word "Casa", which means "House" and Buena, meaning "Happy" or "Happiness".
Casares Spanish, Galician
One who lived in several places named "Casares".
Casarrubias Spanish
Topographic name from the plural of Spanish casa rubia ‘red house’.
Casavantes French, Spanish, Basque
Topographic name composed of casa "house" + avant "ahead of forward" + the suffix -es, denoting one who lived in the house located at the beginning of a village. This surname has died out in France.
Casiano Spanish
From the given name Casiano.
Casillas Spanish
From any of various places called Casillas or Las Casillas, from the plural of casilla, a diminutive of Casa. ... [more]
Casio Spanish
From the given name Casio.
Cassatta Spanish (Latin American)
Spanish form of Cassata. Mostly used in Argentina.
Castaña Spanish (Philippines), Spanish (Latin American)
From Spanish meaning "chestnut". Could be a nickname for someone having chestnut hair.
Castanati Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish Origins
Castaño Spanish, Galician
Means "chestnut tree" in Spanish and Galician.
Castañón Spanish
Possibly derived from Spanish castaño, meaning "chestnut tree". Alternatively, it may be derived from castañón, which is the Spanish word for the kippernut plant (species Conopodium majus).
Castellanos Spanish
Habitational name from any of various places called Castellanos, derived from Spanish castellano meaning "Castilian".
Castelli Judeo-Italian, Italian, Spanish
Italian patronymic or plural form of Castello. ... [more]
Castrejon Spanish
Habitational Name From Any Of Various Places Called Castrejón Especially In Valladolid Province Or A Topographic Name From A Diminutive Of Castro ‘Castle’ From Latin Castrum ‘Fort Roman Walled City’.
Catarino Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
Meaning "pure".
Cava Italian, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese
From cava ‘cave’, ‘cellar’ (from Latin cavea), hence a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in the wine cellars of a great house, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a cave, or a habitational name from any of numerous places named with this word.
Cebrián Spanish
From the given name Cebrián.
Ceh Mayan
From Yucatec Maya kéej meaning "deer".
Ceja Spanish
From a common field name or a habitational name from any of various minor places called Ceja Yecla in Aragon.
Celda Spanish (Modern, Rare), Filipino (Modern, Rare)
The Spanish word for 'cell', as in prison cell.
Celedon Spanish
Spanish (Celedón): From The Old Personal Name Celedón From Celedonio From Greek Chelidonios ‘Like A Swallow’ Through Latin Chelidonius.
Celedonio Spanish
From the given name Celedonio.
Celeste Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Celeste.
Celino Italian, Spanish
From the given name Celino
Celio Italian, Spanish
From the given name Celio
Celso Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Celso.
Cendejas Spanish
Cendejas is a city in Guadalahara. It is short for Cendejas de la Torre.
Cenobio Spanish
From the given name Cenobio.
Centurión Spanish
Originally a nickname derived from Spanish centurión (ultimately from Late Latin centum) literally meaning "centurion". Historically, a centurion is a military officer who commanded one hundred men in an Ancient Roman army during the classical period.
Cepeda Spanish
A nickname for someone from the region where they grow vineyards.
Cera Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Sicilian
Metonymic occupational name for a wax seller, derived from Latin cera meaning "wax". A famous bearer of this surname is Canadian actor and musician Michael Cera (1988-).
Cerda Spanish, Portuguese
Nickname for a person with a prominent tuft of hair, derived from Spanish and Portuguese cerda meaning "bristle, stiff, coarse, short, thick hair", ultimately from Late Latin cirra.
Cerrajero Spanish
Occupational name for a locksmith.
Cervera Spanish
A name for someone coming from any one of many places called Cervera, coming from Late Latin cervaria, meaning "place of stags".
Cespedes Spanish
From the plural of cesped "peat", "turf" (Latin caespes, genitive caespitis), applied as a habitational name from a place named Céspedes (for example in Burgos province) or named with this word, or a topographic name for someone who lived by an area of peat, or possibly as a metonymic occupational name for someone who cut and sold turf.
Chacon Spanish
Spanish (Chacón): nickname from chacón ‘gecko’.